In only a few decades, most sea cucumber fisheries around the world have experienced a boom-and-bust pattern; over time, this has happened faster and further away from the main markets in Hong Kong and China. Currently, 81% of sea cucumber fisheries globally have experienced population declines due to overfishing. The findings suggest these fisheries are often unsustainable and may develop too rapidly for effective management responses.

A groundbreaking assessment of marine fisheries and ecosystems reveals that overfishing has been reduced in several regions around the world, resulting in some stock recovery. Importantly, the work bolsters the case that sound management can contribute to the rebuilding of fisheries elsewhere.

A new study provides the first global evaluation of how management practices influence fisheries' sustainability. The study assessed the effectiveness of the world's fisheries management regimes using evaluations by nearly 1,200 fisheries experts and analyzing these in combination with data on the sustainability of fisheries catches.

Coral reefs in the Caribbean have suffered significant changes due to the proximal effects of a growing human population, reports a study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B.

The simultaneous effect of habitat fragmentation, over-exploitation, and climate change could accelerate the decline of populations and substantially increase their risk of extinction, a study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B has warned.

The Census of Marine Life is a growing global network of researchers in more than 45 nations engaged in a ten-year initiative to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of marine life in oceans--past, present, and future.